By WFAN.com
On December 6, the Brooklyn Nets sat at 8-18, losers of eight straight and seemingly destined for another dismal season.
However, a players-only film session following the team's two-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game in which the Nets blew a 23-point lead, sparked a monumental turnaround in Brooklyn.
In the 23 games since, the Nets have been the hottest team in the league, going 18-5 and soaring into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. It's even more impressive when you consider the fact that the team has been playing so well without possibly its best player, Caris LeVert.
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Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson joined Mike's On Thursday to discuss the team's recent play.
"We've really improved as the season's gone on," Atkinson told Mike Francesa Thursday. "We've dealt with some injuries and have battled through that. The guys are playing great."
While D'Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie seem to garner the most recognition around the league, Atkinson made sure to praise the play of rookie Rodions Kurucs during the team's amazing surge.
The Nets selected Kurucs with the 40th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after the young forward played a mere 44 minutes with FC Barcelona the prior season.
The 20-year-old began to see extended action after the injury to Allen Crabbe. Kurucs has since played his way into the starting lineup, where he is averaging 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game.
>>MORE: Lichtenstein: Nets' Russell Will Be Selected To NBA All-Star Game
After receiving little fanfare upon being selected in the second round of last year's draft, Kurucs now finds himself in the top 10 in almost all rookie rankings.
"We have the incarnation of Andrei Kirilenko starting at the three- 20-year-old kid, Rodions Kurucs," Atkinson said about his rookie forward. "He's from Latvia, Mike. He came out of nowhere. Absolutely great job by Sean Marks to find a player like that. He was in Barcelona last year, actually not playing a lot. Playing very little, actually.
"We identified him. He's 6-foot-9, flashing, athletic, runs the court, he'll dunk on you. He came out of nowhere... He fits the NBA perfect. He can shoot it. I'm really excited about him."
To listen to the full interview, click on the audio player above.
